Child rearing: The lost art of disciplining your kids. What happened?

Praise the Lord.

I apologize but I will have to continue “He Came As Man To Be A Sacrifice For All – Pt. 2” another week.

God has placed this subject on my mind and I was supposed to have published it last week so in being in obedience I will this week. 

Child rearing: The lost art of disciplining your kids. What happened?

There are three forms or styles God has placed in me to speak about, and no I didn’t get these from Dr. Phil, a self-help book or other so-called gurus, these came spiritually inspired.  Also, I know some “experts” that have never had kids or those that didn’t grow up in my, or our, kinds of neighborhoods might not be able to relate, so to use my best vernacular…it ain’t fo ya.

First is traditional, second is progressive and the last one is comprehensive.

Traditional is basically just that, the old skool form of raising kids, our parents and grandparents employed back in the day, say from olden times through the 80s.

This method spawned the “village” methodology. Within this style, any and every one had unwritten permission to chastise anyone’s child that was acting up or misbehaving as it were.  You had best believe you would be receiving no less than two whippings that day and you prayed your daddy didn’t find out.

Back then, most moms would shield the child from that as long as the child straightened their act up.  “Wait til your daddy get home” was the most frightening statement a mother could possibly say to a child and you had better believe that child was the epitome of perfection for at least the next three to five days.

Chores were done without being told, extra “I love you mommys” were sprinkled out daily, sharing with siblings became priority one, the list goes on but you should get the gist.

Grownup snitching was the norm back then and if you didn’t, it was believed you either didn’t love that child or you had an issue with the parents. Most times, it didn’t matter because the Grapevine Express Gazette had already spread the word all throughout the neighborhood even before the child could get off the bus.

It wasn’t a good look either if your mom had to get off work and made it home before you. In some cases, if wasn’t working that day, she was waiting for you and the bus in her rollers, bedroom shoes armed with whatever weapon of mass destruction she could grab before leaving the house.

Some could only speak of what they heard with regards to the Hot Wheels race track, the orange ones, or the extension cord whipping some would receive. While others, like myself, still bear the scars today.

She didn’t wait for you to get home behind closed doors, no! She got started the moment after politely speaking to the bus driver and waiting for them to pull off.  Then the beatdown commenced and all of your friends witnessed it.  Just the embarrassment alone would be enough for you to get right and it would be that lasting reminder of what not to do.

Believe it or not, this methodology got its fundamental basis from none other than the Bible. Yes, God’s Word speaks to a variation of this style of child-rearing.

Let’s examine it.

Proverbs 22:15 (AMP)

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him.

Proverbs 13:24 (AMP)

24 He who withholds the rod [of discipline] hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines and trains him diligently and appropriately [with wisdom and love].

Proverbs 23:13-14 (AMP)

13 Do not withhold discipline from the child; If you [a]swat him with a reed-like ROD [applied with godly wisdom], he will not die. 14 You shall [b]swat him with the reed-like ROD And rescue his life from Sheol (the netherworld, the place of the dead).

Proverbs 29:15 (AMP)

15 The rod and reproof (godly instruction) give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

Why do you think it says mother to shame?  I will leave that one alone for now.

The word “rod” is not metaphoric or symbolic, it’s actual.  It is no mystery or coincidence why our kids today are so undisciplined. Discipline or prayer is no longer in schools, and no, I do not think that paddling should be reintroduced.  That responsibility belongs solely to the parent, saved, sanctified parent. That way they don’t lose their minds in the process.  It says godly wisdom with loving kindness.

This is the Word of God saying this.  Go check it for yourself.  There are more.

Next week, I will discuss progressive child rearing.

Till next week,

God Bless.

Rev. Dr. Robert L. Harrison, PhD